


Cruel Summer With You

by SolosGirl



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dark!Rey, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 16:07:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20428700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolosGirl/pseuds/SolosGirl
Summary: Ben Solo desperately tries to save Rey from the Dark Side."I LOVE YOU, ain't that the worst in you?"





	Cruel Summer With You

**Author's Note:**

> First time I'm posting here, be kind.  
English is not my language, so sorry for the errors along the way.  
Hope you like it, comment to tell me if you liked it.  
Partly inspired by the song "Cruel Summer"

Even if Rey was on his back, he could feel the change, could feel the darkness around her, could feel the darkness engulfing her light that had once been so bright.

He knew the darkness so well.

“Rey”

His voice seemed to sound so wavering, so week that he hated himself at that moment for all the desperation imprinted on his voice.

“You were right all this time”

She kept her back to him, just looking over her shoulder for a few seconds.

"Darkness has always been in me"

“Rey look at me”

"Why are you here now?"

"You know the reason"

"Did you come here for a_ nothing_?"

The emphasis on that word, the hurt in her voice, all made him once again want to go back in time, change his words and his choices.

“I can bring them back”

Her voice was different, lost in the middle of pain and loss.

“Rey”

"My parents"

“They are dead, Rey you have to accept this”

"I _killed_ them"

Ben swallowed hard.

“I'll bring them back”

"No matter what he told you, Rey, all he says are lies"

“You can bring Han and Leia back too”

“Rey, stop”

"Come with me, we can find a way"

“Rey this is not you”

“If you are not with me, then that makes us enemies again”

She activated the red lightsaber, for a moment seemed to reconsider, but then turned for him with rage in her eyes.

"_Fight me_"  
Rey shouted. 

"No"

Ben awnsered firmly.

"Then die"

Rey ran toward him fast enough to make him dizzy, but slow enough to allow him to activate his lightsaber.

"So he's finally yours" 

Her voice was pure sarcasm as she faced the lightsaber that had once been the reason to separate them, the legacy of his family.

The rain beat down hiding the tears that escaped Ben. This was not the girl he met. This one was faster, stronger, crueler.

"You left me Ben, it's all your fault"

The hurt was so present there, so deep, as the blows remained firm and fierce.

"I blamed you for killing Han, and now I find out that I killed my parents."

"Rey stop!"

"Now I'm the murderous snake, I'm the monster"

"I know you, you not like this"

He lowered his guard for a moment and then felt the pain burn. Maybe it was Skywalker karma losing his hand. Rey used one foot to push it and Ben fell into the water.

Everything went dark, there was nothing but despair and pain.  
  


"_Ben wake up_"

He hear the voice. **That** voice.

“Raise son”

It sounded like hisb mother's voice, it was impossible, she was dead.

She’s gone and he had to accept that

. "Ben, c’mon kid wake up"

He opened his eyes to hear Luke's voice, he needed to know if that was really truth.

“I said we would see each other around Kid”

A smile, full of sadness.

“You need to come back, Rey needs you”

Luke put his hand on his shoulder and Ben no longer felt hate, only forgiveness. Light.

“I lost your grandma, don't lose the girl you love, don’t make the same mistake I did”

Ben turned to look at the man at his left side. It could not be. _But was_.

“It's time to go back Ben, finish what I started and save the one you love”

Anakin touched his temple and Ben felt his eyes closing.

He wasn’t in the mountain anymore, but inside a ship, and it wasn’t any ship. Was his father's ship.

"Where is she?"

The traitor looked at him with suspicion, Ben could swear that he was going to kill him, but then a girl pulled his sleeve, he look down at her, and he calm down.

"What did you do with her?"

Poe punched his face and Ben took a deep breath to not hit him back.

“She's in darkside”

Everybody was chocked.

* * *

Poe touched his shoulder and took a deep breath.

“Listen Solo that's stupid”

"I'll bring her back"

"I'll go with you"

Finn got up from the armchair.

"I'll go alone"

Ben answered.

"She will kill you"

Poe warned, but Ben answered firmly again.

"Then I'll die trying to bring her back."

Ben saw the Wookiee stride across the small base with determined strides, he placed his father's golden dice in his hand, he pressed the object with his artificial hand.

"Thanks Chewie, I took too much from you, I'll bring her back"

The owned this to the Wookie, to his father, to his mother, and owned to all that people that had believed in her.

He owed mostly that to her, because she had saved him from the darkness.

"What is your plan, Ben?"

"I don’t have one"

“Couldn’t have a more Solo answer than that”

Lando hugged tight the boy.

“He would be proud, and boy, be careful”

“I will try not to die”

“I was saying to be careful with her”

Pointing at a ship on the base side, Ben smiled, perhaps for the first time in a long time.

* * *

The scene seemed very familiar, Rey was in front of him holding her lightsaber and Ben recognized his at her waist, the one he had left with his hand.

“Come back with me Rey”

"I can’t"

"I know there's still light in you, he didn't take it off completely."

The elevator door opened and the Sithtroppers pushed him into the throne room, much like Snoke's, but more metallic, less red. Colder.

“Another Skywalker”

Palpatine spun in his chair.

“I thought you would be the one that would work, but you are just another emotional Skywalker”

Palpatine’s evil laugh made everything seem even worse.

"Do you know why your Grandpa came to me on the darkside?"

Ben didn't answer, but the Emperor continued.

“Because he loved your grandmother, he couldn't lose her”

Ben swallowed hard without saying a word.

“Luke Skywalker died for you because he loved you, because he believed that you would return to the light. He died because he loved your mother, his precious sister, and because he had clung to little Rey, the daughter he never had”

“What do you want with this?”

“To show you that compassion, love and attachment to the Skywalkers only ends in one way ... Death”

"So, what are you waiting for?"

Ben faced.

“I won't make the same mistake I made with your uncle, I won't give you a chance to pick the winning side”

Rey took a deep breath, she was on her knees before Palpatine's monstrous figure.

“Rise daughter of darkness, heir to Darth Maul, fulfill your destiny once and for all and kill your only weakness”

Rey got up and went to Ben, the soldiers brought him to his knees, he met her cold, dark eyes, so far from the light they once emanated.

“You can't have been like this overnight, this isn't you Rey”

"You don't know who I am when I'm not trying to save you

" "Then let _me_ save _you_"

"It's too late"

“No, it’s not”

Rey attacked, but Ben managed to bring his lightsaber to him, his family's legacy. Ben and Rey fought, Rey to attack, Ben to defend himself. Palpatine laughed.

"Rey I feel the conflict in you, I know your kindness"

“Don't underestimate me Ben”

One hit and Ben was injured.

"I already gave you a scar, I took your hand, I'll have your life"

Ben felt the pain in her voice, felt their bond between them shake, felt his heart clench and hers break.

“Your feelings will betray you young Skywalker”

Palpatine's voice sounded above them, Rey hunted him in the dark like a hunter looking for his prey, Ben closed his eyes.

_ "You are not alone"_

_ "Neither you" _

Echoing in his mind like a goodbye, like a memory lost in time.

"You told me I wasn't alone and so you tried to knock me down in the sky, you abandoned me Ben"

“Don't let the hurt take you”

"You lied to me"

"I never lied to you"

They were _desperate_. _Connected._ They were enemies, but _complicated enemies_. Enemies who felt compassion for each other.

“Run Ben”

She almost begged when she got in front of him.

"No"

“So there is no other way out”

Rey attacked with her red saber, Ben protected himself with his blue. When they realized they were back in front of Palpatine, and he was having fun with the scene, it was like a dejavu, but he knew Rey wouldn't fail like Anakin. Ben's lightsaber flew through the air, he dropped to his knees and Rey placed hers around his neck. Her eyes filled with tears.

"I loved you Ben"

"I know"

Ben closed his eyes expecting his fate, would die at the hands of the only person he still loved. The one who had saved him, but the one he could not save.

"Kill him"

Palpatine ordered.

"_I love you_"

Ben opened his eyes as the words escaped his lips, hers parted, a tear trickled down his cheek.

"It's the worst words you could hear, isn't it?"

Rey trembled, he could feel her conflict, it was palpable.

“Get out girl, I do it myself”

Palpatine lost patience and the lightning bolts from his fingers hit Ben as he collapsed to the ground, Ben’s cries of pain could be heard from beyond the stars. Suddenly hearing the sound of blasters, Rey looked up to see faces so well known to her. Poe, Finn, Rose, Chewie and Lando came in shooting the guards.

“I knew you were going to need us Solo” Poe addressed Ben who was still suffering on the floor.

"Rey you love him, make him stop"

Rose begged.

“It is not with hate that we will win this war”

Finn insisted.

Rey seemed to come to herself, she clutched the lightsaber in her hand and without thinking once more set off for the Emperor who distracted with Ben did not see as she crossed the weapon into his deformed body. He looked puzzled and hatred at the girl, but before he could retaliate, Ben caught him feeling all those lightning bolts tearing through his body and as Rey cut off the Emperor's head.

Ben fell to the ground injured and agonized, Rey kneeling and crying put his hands on his chest.

"Stay with me"

"I brought you back" Ben touched Rey's cheek as he laid his head on his palm.

“Ben” He closed his eyes slowly, his hand slipping from her face.

Rose hugged Finn hiding her face in her boyfriend's chest. Lando fell to his knees, Poe turned his face and Chewbacca who had already lost so much lost his nephew.

"No!" Rey shouted, her hands on the chest of the man she loved, all her darkness seemed to dissipate and a blinding light filled the room.

Ben opened his eyes and he was with his family.

“I finished what you started grandpa”

"I know Ben, I know"

"I died?"

Ben turned to Luke who hugged, for the first time in many years, his nephew, the one who had returned from darkness.

“It's time to go back Ben”

Ben watched Luke walk away beside Anakin, both without looking back, but Leia looked, smiled, and mumbled her last "I love you son."

The connection between them trembled, seemed to scream and Ben opened his eyes to find Rey desperate.

"Don’t cry sweetheart"

"You came back"

She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"You too"

He answered with relief.

"I love you Ben"

"I know"

She laughed and pulled him by the collar, gluing his lips in a kiss that sealed their fates together. Maz was right, what she was looking for was not in her past, but here in her present, in front of her, in Benjamin Organa-Solo, the man of her life.  
  
  



End file.
